Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best HPMC solubility chart

Key Solubility Characteristics of HPMC:

Water Solubility:

Cold Water: HPMC dissolves in cold water, forming a colloidal solution. As the polymer hydrates, it swells, and over time it disperses completely, forming a clear to slightly cloudy solution depending on the grade and concentration.

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Hot Water: HPMC is insoluble in hot water. At higher temperatures (above 60°C or 140°F), HPMC will form a gel rather than dissolving, making it useful for thermal gelation applications. As it cools, it can re-dissolve into water.

pH Sensitivity:

HPMC is soluble in water across a wide pH range of 3 to 11, making it highly versatile for use in different formulations. Outside of this range, HPMC may become insoluble or show decreased solubility.

Organic Solvent Solubility:

Alcohols: HPMC is generally insoluble in pure alcohols like ethanol and methanol. However, it can be dissolved in aqueous mixtures of alcohols when the water content is high (up to 70%). The solubility decreases as the alcohol concentration increases.

Other Solvents: HPMC shows limited solubility in other organic solvents but can form suspensions or gels in certain solvent systems. It is often used in combination with organic solvents in industrial applications.

Solubility Behavior in Mixtures:

HPMC can be dissolved in a mixture of water and polar organic solvents such as ethanol, isopropanol, or acetone if the water content is sufficient. It’s often used in formulations requiring both hydrophilic and lipophilic balance.

● Cold Water: Soluble, forms a viscous solution.

● Ethanol: Slightly soluble in aqueous ethanol (≤70% water), insoluble in pure ethanol.

● Isopropyl Alcohol: Slightly soluble in aqueous mixtures, insoluble in pure IPA.

● Methanol: Insoluble, or very limited solubility in aqueous methanol mixtures.

● Organic Solvents: Insoluble or forms suspensions in non-polar organic solvents.

● Water: Highly soluble in cold water; gels in hot water.

HPMC is primarily soluble in cold water and aqueous systems, has limited solubility in organic solvents, and forms gels at high temperatures. Its solubility makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, especially in pharmaceuticals as a binder or film-forming agent.

HPMC’s functionality depends on its ability to dissolve or swell in a specific solvent. For example, drug coatings require HPMC to dissolve in a rapidly evaporating solvent mixture, leaving a uniform film; HPMC must dissolve evenly in water or ethanol mixtures to act as a stabilizer or emulsifier; solubility in cold water ensures that HPMC is evenly dispersed in cement without agglomeration.

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HPMC’s solubility is affected by factors such as temperature, polymer substitution (methoxy and hydroxypropyl), and solvent polarity.

HPMC is highly soluble in water, especially in cold water. When added to water, HPMC disperses and swells, then completely dissolves to form a clear or slightly turbid solution. The viscosity of the solution depends on the molecular weight and concentration of the HPMC.

HPMC is freely soluble in cold water. HPMC hydrates rapidly in cold water to form a viscous, clear solution. This is ideal for syrups or eye drops.

The solution forms a gel at high temperatures and redissolves upon cooling. Unlike other cellulose derivatives, HPMC is stable over a wide pH range (3-11).

Due to the low polarity of ethanol, HPMC is almost insoluble. However, ethanol-water mixtures (30% ethanol + 70% water) can effectively dissolve HPMC. Because water can act as a co-solvent.

Application: Ethanol mixtures are common in tablet coatings. For example, a 20% ethanol solution can accelerate drying and reduce the viscosity of film coatings.

Limitations: High ethanol concentrations (>80%) can cause HPMC precipitation.

HPMC is insoluble in pure acetone.

Swelling behavior: In an acetone-water mixture (50:50), HPMC may swell but will not completely dissolve. This is exploited in the microencapsulation process.

Special uses: Acetone is sometimes used to wash HPMC-based products to remove impurities without dissolving the polymer.

Similar to ethanol, HPMC has limited solubility. Methanol-water mixtures (e.g., 40% methanol) may improve solubility but are less common due to methanol’s toxicity.

Pharmaceutical Considerations: Methanol should be avoided in oral or topical products but may be used in industrial settings for solvent casting.

HPMC is best soluble in water but requires organic solvent blends (e.g., ethanol-water) for special applications. Pure organic solvents (e.g., acetone or methylene chloride) will not dissolve HPMC but can be used in compounded systems. When designing HPMC-based formulations, it is important to consider solvent polarity, replacement grade, and temperature. For industries that rely on solvent-based systems, choosing the right combination of solvents ensures that HPMC performs optimally in the formulation.

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